Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe (2024)

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Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe – Seasoned and juicy cube steak, coated in a flavorful batter pan-fried until perfectly golden and crispy then smothered in a creamy white sausage gravy!

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Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe (1)

Knowing how to make chicken fried steak will come in handy when looking for a delicious Southern comfort classic! Resulting in a restaurant-quality dish, this tender juicy chicken fried steak comes together so easily.

Both the steak and the gravy are made using the same skillet there’s very little cleanup involved.

This hearty meal can be served as dinner or breakfast, and my family and I love it both ways! Served with biscuits, eggs, and a side of home fries in the morning, or mashed potatoes and green beans at night. Either way, it won’t last long on anyone’s plate!

What is Chicken Fried Steak?

You would think by the name there is some sort of chicken involved in this recipe, but there’s not! The name comes from the fact that a piece of steak is coated in fried batter, much like we do with a chicken cutlet.

Instead, cube steak is coated in a crispy golden batter making every crunchy bite filled with a piece of juicy steak. Then, it’s smothered in a creamy white sauce that can be made with or without sausage crumbles. It really is the best!

Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe Ingredients

  • Cube Steak: The cut of beef used for cube steak is usually top round or top sirloin that’s been pounded and tenderized by a meat mallet. You can see the little indentations from the instrument that look like little cubes. You can find this at your local butcher either already tenderized or you can do it yourself at home.
  • Salt & Pepper: A simple seasoning for the meat before coating it with even more seasoning in the batter.
  • For the coating: Flour, baking powder, baking soda, Montreal steak spice, garlic powder, buttermilk, and egg. The acid in the buttermilk will also help tenderize the meat and together they will help the batter stick to the steak.
  • Oil for frying: Use any kind you want, but I like to use avocado oil for this recipe.

For the Gravy

  • Sausage: Breakfast sausage is what I use because I just love the flavor paired with this gravy. You can use another type of sausage if you prefer. As long as you crumble it up into tiny pieces or even grate it so there aren’t large chunks of it.
  • Butter & Flour: Together these will make a roux which is what thickens the gravy.
  • Salt & Pepper: To taste.
  • Chicken Broth: The liquid that will help deglaze the bottom of the skillet to bring up all that yummy flavor while adding its own extra flavor.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: This is what makes the gravy so nice and creamy and rich.
  • Parsley: For garnish!

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How to Make Best Chicken Fried Steak

Step 1: If your steak isn’t thin enough, pound it down to ¼ inch thickness. Do this by placing it in between two pieces of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet to pound it. Then, season it with salt and pepper.

Step 2: Set up the dredging station using 2 different dishes. The first will have the flour and the second will have the baking soda and seasonings, combined with the buttermilk and egg, whisked completely until a smooth batter is formed.

Step 3: Preheat 3 cups of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, start dredging the meat.

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Step 4: Dredge each piece of steak in the flour first. Make sure it’s completely coated and shake off any excess. Dip it into the batter, and then into the flour again.

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Step 5: Once the oil is hot, add steaks and fry for about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease and keep warm in the oven until you’re ready to serve.

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How to Make Chicken Fried Steak Gravy

Step 1: To the same skillet over medium heat, saute the chopped sausages until golden. No need to add any extra oil.

Step 2: Transfer sausage to a plate and then add butter to the skillet to melt. Stir in the flour for 1 minute until a roux forms.

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Step 3: Once the nutty paste has formed, slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and use it to scrape off the yummy brown bits of flavor from the bottom. Then, add another cup of chicken broth and continue stirring.

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Step 4: Next, pour in the heavy whipping cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the sausage to the skillet and stir well. Now, it’s ready to enjoy!

Serve the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and pickles and top with a generous helping of sausage gravy.

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Recipe Tips & Suggestions

  • Feel free to omit the sausage from the gravy, if you prefer a smooth gravy.
  • Use your hands to press the flour onto the pieces of steak so that way none of it falls off as it fries.
  • To avoid a soggy coating, make sure the oil is hot before you add the steak. Also, do not add too many at a time or overcrowd the pot.
  • Allow the steak to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before cooking it. Adding cold steak to hot oil is not a good idea!
  • For a bit of heat, add some cayenne powder to the flour mixture or Tabasco sauce to the batter.
  • Keep your steaks warm while you make the gravy in the oven at about 225F. It helps to have this preheated and ready beforehand.
  • I like to deep fry the steaks in a few cups of oil for even frying, however, if you prefer shallow frying you can do this too.

FAQs

Why are there baking powder and baking soda in the batter?

Both react very nicely with the acid in the buttermilk and will help give the coating that extra bit of crispy texture!

What temperature should the oil be?

Wait until it has reached 350F before adding the steak. The best way to tell is by using a deep-fry thermometer. If you have a candy thermometer that will work too.

Can I make this ahead of time?

I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s best eaten right away if you want to enjoy that delicious golden crunch. Of course, if you have leftovers you can enjoy them the next day, but they’ll have lost that initial crunch.

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Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

Love Keil

Chicken fried steak is a steak fried in seasoned batter until golden color and served with sausage gravy over the top. You can serve this meal for breakfast with eggs or for dinner with mashed potatoes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Coarse

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1375 kcal

Ingredients

Chicken Fried Steak Gravy

  • 10-12 oz breakfast sausage cut into tiny pieces or grated
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped

Instructions

How to Make Chicken Fried Steak

  • First, pound steak until 1/4 inch thickness, then season with salt & pepper, to taste. Next, add 1 1/2 cup of flour into a dish. Using a different dish add 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 tablespoon of Montreal Steak Spice, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, pepper and salt, to taste. Whisk until everything is combined.

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  • Now, pour in 1 1/2 cup of buttermilk and add 1 egg. Again, whisk until everything is combined.

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  • Next, dredge each steak in the flour (covering completely with flour), then in the batter, and in the flour, again.

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  • Using a non-stick skillet, preheat 3 cups of oil on medium/high heat. Once oil gets hot, add steaks and fry until golden brown color, 3 to 5 minutes per side. After, transfer steak onto a plate lined with paper towel and keep warm.

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How to Make Chicken Fried Steak Gravy

  • Saute chopped sausages in the skillet with no oil, over medium heat until golden color, about 3-5 minutes.

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  • Remove sausages onto a plate. Next, melt 3 tablespoons of butter, once melted add 1/4 cup of flour and stir continually for 1 minute. Slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and stir until everything is combined. Add another cup of chicken broth and stir again. After pour in 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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  • Return sausage into the skillet and give it a nice stir. Chicken steak gravy is ready!

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  • Serve chicken fried steak with gravy, mashed potatoes and pickles. Garnish with finely chopped parsley. Enjoy!

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Video

Notes

  • Use non-stick skillet when frying steak.
  • Best steak for chicken fried steak is cube steak, it should be located at the store with the rest of the steak meat cuts. Feel free to ask a butcher at the grocery store if he can get cube steak.
  • Let steak rest 30 minutes in room temperature before cooking it.

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Nutrition

Calories: 1375kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 58gFat: 104gSaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 277mgSodium: 1041mgPotassium: 1296mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1076IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 287mgIron: 7mg

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Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe (18)

Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep batter from falling off chicken-fried steak? ›

Another important tip is to place the breaded meat onto a sheet pan, cover and place back in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frying. This will firmly adhere the breading onto the meat and help keep it from falling of when frying.

What is the secret to frying steak? ›

The Easiest, Cleanest Way to Sear Steak
  1. Use a nonstick or carbon-steel skillet, not stainless steel. ...
  2. Don't add oil.
  3. Start in a cold pan (no need to preheat).
  4. Flip the steaks every 2 minutes.
  5. Start with high heat, and then after a few flips, turn it down to medium.
Jan 1, 2022

Is it better to deep fry or pan fry chicken-fried steak? ›

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Fried Steak

That way, the coating will adhere better. Spoon hot oil over the steaks in the pan. You don't need to deep fry the chicken-fried steaks. You can easily shallow fry them in less oil.

How do you keep chicken-fried steak from getting soggy? ›

Adding the steak to the oil before it's reached 350° will make the breading wet and soggy, it needs to instantly start cooking as soon as it hits the oil so that the breading can crisp right up.

How do you make breading stick to chicken fried steak? ›

Dip steaks, one at a time, into seasoned flour mixture coating each side then back into marinade then back into seasoned flour then finally place on a baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to make sure that the breading adheres and stays on the steaks when frying.

How to make batter stick to steak? ›

Soak the meat in buttermilk. You can also use milk or a seasoned milk mixture. Let it sit for at least a half hour.

Is it better to pan fry steak in butter or oil? ›

Should I cook a ribeye in oil or butter? I use a little of both. The oil has a higher smoke point which means it won't burn when you crank the heat up high. The butter, however, gives it great flavor.

Do I put flour on steak before frying? ›

There are a few reasons why this might be helpful: the dryness of flour mitigates the natural moisture of the meat, helping the Maillard Reaction happen properly. In addition, flour reacts faster to heat than raw meat, speeding up the browning process.

What is the secret to the perfect steak? ›

Rest the meat

If you cut into those tight muscle fibers as soon as it's off the heat, all the juices pour out. That's why resting meat for 5-10 minutes is the secret for preparing a juicy and tender steak. This resting time allows the muscles to relax and release their juices evenly into the meat.

What is Texas Roadhouse Country Fried Steak? ›

Hand-battered, fresh-cut sirloin served crispy and golden, topped with cream gravy.

How to make country fried steak paula deen? ›

Season the meat on both sides with Paula Deen House Seasoning. Dredge the steaks through the buttermilk then the flour. Add an inch of oil to a large heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Add steaks to the hot oil in batches and fry until golden and brown, about 5 minutes per side.

Why is my pan fried steak tough? ›

Putting the steak in the pan before it's screaming hot will lead to overcooking and, you guessed it, a tough steak. — Let it rest. You've heard it a thousand times before, but it is always worth repeating. Before you cut into that beautiful hunk of meat, let it hang out for at least 10 minutes.

Why isn't my chicken-fried steak crispy? ›

Cooking Tips

Shake off any excess liquid or flour, and let the steak rest for a few minutes before frying. Use oil that is hot—oil that is not hot enough will decrease your chances of a crispy coating. The breading may absorb the oil and become soggy and greasy.

What is the difference between chicken-fried steak and country fried steak? ›

The main difference between country-fried steak and chicken-fried steak is the gravy. Country-fried steak is slathered in brown gravy, whereas chicken-fried steak uses a white, peppery gravy. However, this distinction is not entirely set in stone as different restaurants will serve both with the same gravy.

Why is my fried chicken batter fall off? ›

Meat is not properly dry

If the meat is wet, it will make the flour soggy. In that case, breading will not stick properly and may fall off when deep frying. Therefore, you must take some paper towels and pat dry the meat on all sides.

How do you keep batter from falling off when frying? ›

Seal the plate gently with a length or two of plastic cling wrap. Don't pull it too tight, but make sure that all of the edges are sealed. Place the plate into the refrigerator and let the food sit for at least 60 minutes. This helps the coating to harden a bit, which will keep it on the food.

Why does the flour come off my fried chicken? ›

Issue: Not allowing the breaded chicken to rest before frying can lead to the breading falling off. Solution: After breading, let the chicken rest on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. This allows the breading to set and adhere.

How do you keep batter stuck to chicken? ›

Use beaten egg, any kind of milk, or a combination of both, and then dip the pieces into the breading. Alternatively, put the breading in a gallon-sized bag or large paper bag, drop the chicken in, and shake, shake, shake. Once coated, press the breading against the chicken firmly.

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